Pneumatic spring struts (gas springs) are widely used to either partly or totally counterbalance engine compartment hoods, trunk lids, rear windows and tailgates of vehicles to facilitate opening them and to hold them open. The force outputs of gas springs may vary considerably with ambient temperature swings. That is, at low ambient temperatures the gas spring produces a force that can be significantly lower than the force produced at higher ambient temperatures. To offset this effect a temperature compensating valve (TCV) assembly is assembled into pneumatic spring strut bodies. The TCV assembly separates the gas chamber of the gas spring into two separate pressure chambers. When the valve is closed, for example at temperatures above 4 degrees C., the gas spring functions only using a main pressure chamber. At cold ambient temperatures, for example at temperatures below 4 degrees C., the valve opens, allowing the gas spring to operate and provide an output, or lift force, based on the volume of gas in the main pressure chamber and an additional volume. The additional volume is contained in a secondary pressure chamber.
In some cases, such as following damage to the vehicle following a crash, gas in the main pressure chamber may escape from the pneumatic spring strut due to leakage around the lift rod seal. In cases in which the pneumatic spring strut temperatures are elevated it is desirable to release the gas pressure in the secondary pressure chamber to prevent it from dislodging the TCV assembly from its seated position in the pneumatic spring strut body.